I know we’ve reported this beofre, but I just love this story. Here it is again, this time from Greek movie magazine ‘Cinema’.
“If you are a maniac Tolkien fan and you can’t wait for the release of the Lord of the Rings, if you are already looking for memorabilia and gadgets from the upcoming trilogy at e-bay, then it’s better that you don’t read further on. The star of the movie, Liv Tyler (Arwen), after the end of filming received as a gift the ears that she was wearing during filming, and instead of insuring them as a future collector’s item, she left them for a week on the dushboard of her car. When she went to look for them she found in their place a sticky substance….. Disaster, but I am sure that even this sticky substance can be sold at a good price….”
Thanks to Unono for the translation!
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Typically, the Spanish Tolkien community is organising fun, fun fun!
“Aiya:
We’re sending you this message in order to make you aware that the big reunion of Tolkien fans is already underway. Since it became known that The Lord of the Rings was going to be filmed, all of the Tolkien fans in the world got to work. The result of that work is the Beleg Aderthad, the purpose of which is to join all of the Spanish-speaking community together in one of the most ambitious Tolkien events of previous times: the Beleg Aderthad, the massive reunion of lovers of Tolkien, with the purpose of getting together for the premier of The Fellowship of the Ring!
For this, we will unite efforts in order to enjoy the universe created by Tolkien and with the dream, likewise, of enjoying a day of partying on the day the trilogy premiers, the 21st of December. In all the cities of the world, a big challenge awaits us called Beleg Aderthad, and in order to accomplish the challenge, we send you the following internet address: terramedia.net, where you will be able to receive more in-depth information about the project that we’re carrying out.
We send you our greetings and give our thanks,
Tenna i vinya yomentië !!
The organisation of the Beleg Aderthad
Thanks to Renirk (TheOneRing.Net ChatRoom) for this translation.
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Paul found this article by Joseph Bartley about Tolkien. It’s from the Brisbane Courier Mail.
“Today on my way to work, as I do everyday I listened to the local radiostation taking in its below par humour and repetitive nature. I sat and felt alone in my car as the radio relayed news of an eighteen-year-old girl auctioning her virginity over the Internet. Time seemed to slide until I heard a question, a question asked to a caller who had six hundred and forty dollars on the line. “Who wrote the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?” the radio jockey asked, and the caller remained silent. The outcome of this small event was irrelevant but the implications are far reaching. What was a radio station doing with a “geek”- like question of this sort? Did they not stick to superficial irrelevant social questions? As I contemplated this oddity I began to realise the social implication of Tolkien, which I try to relay to you, the reader, today.
A good forty to fifty years ago a professor known today as J.R.R. Tolkien published the final book in his epic trilogy (which in reality was really six books) The Lord of the Rings. I don’t think anyone at the time would of even considered the possibility of how much effect these books would have on the modern world, as we know it today.
Without naming names or getting bogged down in politics and causing the possibility of a counter-argument to anything I am to write here,Tolkien was not overly loved and probably is not still today by critics world wide. Not long after the original release before any form of paperback, critics thought they had seen the end of the Tolkien epic and rejoiced. Little did they know they were dancing in a fool’s paradise. Today the tally of books sold is somewhere in the halfway mark to a
massive one billion. [nope, more like 100 million -Tehanu] At this rate it will be so in perhaps another forty years.
A recent survey of British readers confirmed the worst fears of these critics when it was named the most popular book of the Twentieth Century. This punched the final nail cleanly into the coffin of any
criticism of Tolkien the man and Tolkien the book.
So how is it so that this book of fantasy is the most popular around? Surely there is something more worthwhile to read or spend your time doing? The answer is obviously no!
Years ago on university walls you could read slogans such as “Tolkien is Hobbit-Forming” or “Frodo Lives”, but what did this all mean. The key is in the second slogan, which in essence was a public outcry for the Tolkien’s mythological world and beings to be reality. And in essence this is what it is all about, reality and how disappointed most of us are with it. Tolkien’s world is one of beautiful landscapes, wonderful creatures, magic, ghouls, goblins, swords, quests, battles and of course powerful rings. Some would call these people who long to live in these world “geeks”, but there is something they miss here! The “geek” as they so eloquently put it is in fact responsible for most modern marvels. The people who have devoted fascinations to anything that deals with this kind of mythology are generally hard-working, devoted, intelligent, moral individuals who have a very good handle on life. So why are they like this? Because they can escape and immerse themselves in an alternate reality and forget the worries of society today and return to it wholly fulfilled and ready to take on anything. And they do, they are responsible for many achievements, most notably the wonderful computer-generated images we see in modern films today. The “geek” is most certainly a more superior species to the normal human being. And of course who invented the worlds these “geeks” feed off? Tolkien!
There is a new wave sweeping over society today and the critics would do anything to stop it, throwing the label of “geek” everywhere they possibly can. It is the return of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings in the form of three enormous movies. Suddenly now all of these “geeks” are coming out of the wood work in anticipation of this marvel and no matter how much we fire at them they will win out on top. Why? You may rightfully ask. Because today “geeks” outnumber the rest of us. With the surge of technology in all aspects of life, with our increasing need for entertainment we need these “geeks” to provide it to us. And what is the reason for a “geek”? These fantastical worlds which can all be traced right back to one man – Tolkien!
“How could one story inspire so much in us?” is a question I would like to answer but unfortunately it would make this article so long no one would read it. Therefore I will say only this. Some of the most significant events in the past from Star Wars to the hippy revolution to the birth of the Internet there was a “geek” or more appropriately a dreamer behind it. And these dreamers would escape and dream of a world a man invented so many years ago. A world that inspires them to manufacture valuable tools and movements in our modern society. This world is Middle Earth and the man is Tolkien.
Which brings me back to the radio and that question and my puzzlement at hearing it. Now I realise that behind the competition, behind the radio station inside some office somewhere is a “geek”, a dreamer coming up with new ways to attract our attention to his radio station. Now with the resurgence of Tolkien and the birth of these movies he feels more accepted in modern society for being a “geek”. And as he logs onto www.lordoftherings.net he writes into his latest question list for the competition, that question I heard this morning. The “geek” is a far-reaching phenomenon and sooner rather than later, we, the rest of us will find ourselves alone, outnumbered and perhaps considering reading Tolkien for ourselves.”
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Better than ever!
Fun at Mill … Again!
This year’s “Fun At Mill…Again!” (19th-20th May) saw over 2,200 people visit Sarehole Mill, Birmingham and the Craft Fair on the green behind it, a rise of over 1/3 on last year’s “Fun At Mill”. “Fun At Mill…Again!” was made up of displays from the Tolkien Country Park Partners about their activities, plus a host of other activities including story-telling, guided walks through the area including the history and wildlife of Moseley Bog and the River Cole, exhibitions, crafts, and a dramatisation of Tolkien’s “Farmer Giles of Ham”. The weekend was fun day out for locals, Tolkien fans and interested members of the media, bringing them to the mill, an often overlooked historical site, Moseley Bog and to publicise the concept of the country park which will protect these locations.
The Tolkien Society were successful in applying for a grant of £4,900 from the National Lottery’s Awards for All programme to stage this second Tolkien Weekend event at Sarehole Mill. This meant that funds were available to keep the museum at the mill open for extra hours, with a miller demonstrating his craft. The Lottery fund money was also used to meet the production costs of a dramatic presentation of Tolkien’s story Farmer Giles of Ham in the mill courtyard and to cover the costs of craft demonstrators.
Last year’s Fun at Mill weekend (13-14th May 2000) saw 1,600 people visiting Sarehole Mill, about 1,000 more than the usual number attracted on open days; and that is not including those who only looked at the exhibitions and craft displays on the green behind the mill. So Fun At Mill…Again! saw a bumper number of people coming to see Sarehole Mill, the “original” of the Mill at Bywater in The Lord of the Rings.
A Tolkien Country Park?
The Fun at Mill weekends have been organised to provide a free good day out, and to publicise the concept of a new park centred around Sarehole Mill. Contrary to several articles in the press in 1998, this is not a Tolkien Theme Park, but a country park based around Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog. Since 1998 a group of charitable organisations, the Moseley LNR Conservation Group, the River Cole and Chinn Book Conservation Group, The Tolkien Society and The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, otherwise known as the Tolkien Country Park Partners, have been working towards the creation of this park in Birmingham. It was decided that this park should be known as The Tolkien Country Park because of the importance of the area to world-famous author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The plan is to create a linear park along the course of the River Cole past Sarehole Mill, which is believed to be the last functioning water mill in Birmingham. The suggestions came initially from local residents, some of whom were aware of Tolkien’s links with the area. The Tolkien Country Park Partners are:
The Tolkien Society
30 Span Meadow, Shawbirch, Telford, TF5 0NE.
The Moseley Bog LNR Conservation Group
c/o Mrs Joy Fifer MBE, Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9UZ.
The River Cole & Chinn Brook Conservation Group:
The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.
c/o Peter Bennett, 68 Smirrcus Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 0LB.
Any queries regarding this Press Release should be addressed to:
Ian Collier, Publicity Officer, 18 Howard Street, Oxford, OX4 3BE e-mail publicity@tolkiensociety.org
2nd:
Oxonmoot
21st-23rd September 2001, St Antony’s College, Oxford
Oxonmoot is The Tolkien Society’s annual convention-like event arranged for the weekend closest to the 22nd of September (the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins as given in The Lord of the Rings). This year we return to St Antony’s College on the northern edge of central Oxford. The average attendance is around 150 people and while mostly TS members the general public are welcome to attend and can sign up for the whole weekend or obtain day tickets on the Saturday.
Registration is £22 for members and £27 for non-members up to 31 July,
and £26 & £32 respectively thereafter.
What is an Oxonmoot?
Oxonmoot is a weekend event for the Tolkien Society, which grew out of early more informal arrangements to meet socially in Oxford prior to a wreath laying at Tolkien’s grave. The weekend is made up of formal and informal talks, seminars, workshops†, an art show, a dealers’ room, a party and a wreath laying and service of remembrance at Tolkien’s grave.
Want to Present a Paper?
†Those who wish to offer a paper, host a seminar or run a workshop are invited to contact the Day Time Events Co-Ordinator (e-mail dte.osc@tolkiensociety.org). Please note that the Tolkien Society and Oxonmoot are organised solely by people volunteering to work the spare time they have from their day jobs.
What Happens at an Oxonmoot?
The weekend itself begins with attendees arriving at the college during the Friday afternoon, the sub-committee/Booking Officer will (in co-operation with the college official responsible) have prepared a list of rooms for the porters, so that those attendees requiring a quiet room, or one they can hold a party in will be accommodated appropriately. After dropping off their bags they can wander the town investigating bookshops, tourist attractions and maybe meeting old friends. Oxonmoot officially starts with ‘Registration’, newcomers and old hands turn up around 6pm to obtain Registration Packs which will contain Oxonmoot (OI) Information (the sheet detailing the weekend programme and local information), their name badge and any special vouchers or tickets that they may be eligible for (first-timers get a drinks voucher for the bar — to help break the ice, the choice of beverage is up to them). Recent years have seen the introduction of an organised meal at a nearby restaurant or pub, being pre-booked with attendance this allows new attendees a chance to meet and eat without having to wander around Oxford. Others can find somewhere to eat either from memory, solid acquaintance or the OI in the company of friends; Oxonmoot has become a byword for friendship and fellowship to many attendees, and is often used as a form of farewell between members from different countries or parts of Britain “Oxonmoot”, in other words ‘see you next at…’, according to their ability to get to other meetings. Other than the meal the only other organisation for the evening is arrangements for the college bar where Oxonmooters gather to catch up on old times over drinks, gossip, make new friends and meet old ones. After the bar closes some members may host room-parties, or a Telerin Circle may be arranged for someone’s room, the latter is an informal gathering to read, or hear others reading aloud, from Tolkien’s works, and occasionally there may be some singing. Behind the scenes in the afternoon and evening the Art Show and Dealers’ rooms will have been set up by sub-committee members and volunteers.
On Saturday there is breakfast in the college dining hall. The day starts around 9am with the opening of the art show, dealers room (these will be open most of the day) and the first of the talks, there may also be a quiz. A Hospitality Room is provided with tea, coffee and biscuits so that those who wish to, can just sit and chat with old friends. Saturday lunch is a buffet reception often with an address from a special guest where attendees can meet them amongst the throng. All other activities are suspended, the Dealers’ and Art Show rooms are closed so that everyone can attend. After lunch the programme resumes until around 6pm. Then members in the company of friends old and new seek somewhere to eat, either in college or town, prior to the evening party. The Party has in recent years been held in college bars or Dining Halls according to the space required and ease of access to the bar, entertainment is provided by musically or dramatically inclined members, professional musicians performing works inspired by Tolkien or dramatic readings and there may also be a mini-masquerade for those who like to make and wear costumes based on characters, creatures or peoples from Tolkien’s stories; many of these are works of art in themselves and some appear in the Art Show.
Sunday starts with another college breakfast and packing, around 10.30 the attendees are bussed to Wolvercote Cemetery where at 11:00, is the ceremony of Enyali?I> (Remembrance), where Oxonmooters gather at the grave of Professor Tolkien to remember the man whose work has inspired all of us. After a short reading and a minute’s silences wreaths are laid. Members can then arrange to meet for lunch at a pub (such as the Eagle & Child otherwise known as the “Bird & Baby”, where Tolkien and CS Lewis met regularly) or attend a Dead Orcs’ lunch in the college.
Past Oxonmoots have seen Shakespearean actor, and the voice for the audio books of The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Rob Inglis run a workshop for those members interested in performing or reading Tolkien’s works in public settings (at schools or the Oxonmoot Party). There have also been displays of artwork by renowned Tolkien illustrator Ted Nasmith and concerts by the Danish Tolkien Ensemble of their settings for songs from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, in addition to the usual events.
The Tolkien Society has a web-site, which provides members and non-members with general information about the society and the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
For membership and general enquiries please write to:
The Secretary, 210 Prestbury Road, CHELTENHAM, United Kingdom. GL52 3ER.
Any queries regarding this Press Release should be addressed to:
Ian Collier, Publicity Officer, 18 Howard Street, Oxford, OX4 3BE e-mail publicity@tolkiensociety.org
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From: Idril Celebrindal
Got this on the Top 5 sci-fi mailing list. (See address at the bottom of this message.) Thought you all might get a kick out of it.
The Top 8 Surprises in the “Lord of the Rings” Movie Trailer
8> Hobbit full frontal nudity barely rates a PG, if you know what I mean.
7> In a surprise bit of casting, “Meesa like Ring, gollum, gollum…”
6> “I am Strider, son of Aragorn, known to the hobbits as ‘Big Horsie.'”
5> “Hey, Tom, Merry Tom, Tom Bombadillo! Gotta fire his agent’s ass, ’cause his screen time’s nil-oh!”
4> Mary-Kate and Ashley as Hobbettes!
3> Tom Green has a cameo as Dildo, the least tasteful Hobbit.
2> Sure enough, there he is: Al Gore as Ent #5
and the Number 1 Surprise in the “Lord of the Rings” Movie Trailer…
1> The part of Bilbo Baggins? Played by Emmanuel Lewis.
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From: The folks at tierramedia.net
Since it became known that The Lord of the Rings was going to be filmed, all of the Tolkien fans in the world got to work. The result of that work is the Beleg Aderthad, the purpose of which is to join all of the Spanish-speaking community together in one of the most ambitious Tolkien events of previous times: the Beleg Aderthad, the massive reunion of lovers of Tolkien, with the purpose of getting together for the premier of The Fellowship of the Ring!
For this, we will unite efforts in order to enjoy the universe created by Tolkien and with the dream, likewise, of enjoying a day of partying on the day the trilogy premiers, the 21st of December. In all the cities of the world, a big challenge awaits us called Beleg Aderthad, and in order to accomplish the challenge, we send you the following internet address: www.tierramedia.net, where you will be able to receive more in-depth information about the project that we’re carrying out.
We send you our greetings and give our thanks,
Tenna i vinya yomentië !! The organisation of the Beleg Aderthad
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